MEGHANI leaned into his hand, then jolted back when I realized what I was doing. Again, I was acting like a lovesick puppy just because he was touching me. No, I couldn't let him sway me this much. I smacked his hand off my face."I can do better? And how would you know? Since when are you an expert on my relationships? I have tolerated everything you've said and done so far, but you are going too far. You can't treat Chase like this. You don't even know him!" I said. It was time I defended Chase. Adrian wasn't even giving him a fair chance."What would you like me to do, Maggie? Take him on a fishing trip and spend quality time?" Adrian scoffed.Always jumping to the extreme, this one."No. I am not asking you to be his buddy. But you could at least try to get to know him. For my sake. You still care about me, don't you?" I looked at him expectantly. No matter how hard he tries to push me away, I won't back down.Adrian sighed. "Yeah, look, I do care about you. I am willing to toler
MEGHAN"Your stepbrother really has it out for me, huh?" Chase said on our way to the beach.I didn't say anything and kept thinking about Adrian. He wasn't as hostile as the first time he met Chase but was it really a good idea to take him to Luke's party? What if it makes things worse for us? I could imagine how jealous Adrian would be if he saw me be close to Chase."Meg? Are you okay?" Chase nudged me when I didn't answer."Sorry, I was thinking about something. What were you saying?" I said and smiled at him. I should be focusing on Chase instead of thinking about Adrian all the time, I thought to myself."I said, your stepbrother really hates me for some reason. Did I do something wrong that I don't know about? Or is he like that with every guy in your life? I just don't understand." Chase raised his eyebrows.I shook my head. "He doesn't hate you, Chase. Adrian and I had a fight before I left, so things hadn't been good ever since then, but he will get over it eventually. We ar
ADRIAN So this is really happening. I am going to now have to compete against Maggie's wimpy boyfriend? Great... so now I have to make sure he does not win. It's not that I was worried or anything. I've been playing beach volleyball since I was a child, so this rich asshole doesn't stand a chance so even if he had played before, he didn't have years of practice like I did. Chase didn't seem very sporty either. I couldn't underestimate him, though. I wouldn't make an arrogant mistake like that, so I decided to take this game seriously. It started out as a friendly game. Maggie played a few rounds and decided to sit out for the rest of the game. But since I won against Chase twice, he kept wanting a re-match. "Don't be a sore loser, Chase. You lost, so just go home," I barked after a while. I was all sweaty and irritable. "Just one more game," Chase insisted. "Chase, come on. I want to go back home already," Maggie complained from the sideline. "Yeah, come get your man, Maggie.
MEGHANSomething changed in Adrian's eyes when I touched him, and he didn't seem like he hated me that much anymore. Maybe he was finally starting to realize that I did care about him. But he was still acting defiant. He wasn't ready to let his guard down yet.I went back to the living room and looked for Chase but couldn't find him anywhere. I saw Luke by the drinks, so I decided to talk to him instead."Hey, Maggie. What are you doing all by yourself?" Luke asked. "Where is your boyfriend?"I shrugged. "I have no idea. Chase is way more social than me, so he could be anywhere, making new friends."Luke moved closer. "So...um...how serious are you with this guy?"I looked at him with surprise. Was Luke still interested in me even though he knew about Adrian and me? I thought that would be a major turn-off for him. "Why do you ask?""I was just wondering because..." Luke started, but someone suddenly grabbed my hand. I gasped and looked at Adrian, who had a sour expression on his fac
ADRIAN"Why do you care so much about what Chase had to say to me?" Tiffany asked.I'd been ignoring her since Chase slunk off; he'd left immediately after Luke took Maggie back to our parents' house. We were cleaning up some from the party. Most people didn't want to stick around after Luke exited, which said a lot about how great Luke was as a host."I don't," I snapped, "I made it all up because I'm jealous, right? Possessive or some shit?"Tiffany snapped right back at me, "Don't be an asshole, Adrian. It's not like it's a big deal he hit on me. I never would have taken him up on any offer he had to make."I looked over at her, where she was stacking shot glasses onto a tray. Her face was flushed, and she did look pretty pissed. I could almost believe I'd misinterpreted what Chase had said to her, only I knew I hadn't.Tiffany smiled when she saw me looking, putting the tray on a side table to come over and touch my arm. She said, "I don't want him. I want you. I think I've made t
ADRIAN"Are you trying to say I'm some kind of---bitch?" Maggie managed to squeak out, looking annoyed and embarrassed at the same time.Cocking a brow, I snorted, "No. I'm literally saying I don't think you're sorry at all for how I feel about you. You like the way I can't get over you and I know you really like the fact I want you."Maggie tried to speak several times without managing to chirp out a single word. I knew it was a mixture of emotions holding her back. Embarrassment and arousal being the most obvious from her expression."Are you embarrassed?" I asked.I couldn't really understand why Maggie would feel shy after all we'd done together. She was a little late to the party for second thoughts. We'd already done the dirty deed.Part of me wanted to believe Maggie hadn't given it up to anyone except me while the rational part of my brain argued in favor of recognizing her right to choose who and when she shared herself with others.I guessed some primal part of me was still
MEGHANHad that really just happened? I put my hands to my face to try to cool my cheeks. The burning was for sure real. I wasn't imagining how hot my cheeks were or how hot I was all over. My body felt too hot with my skin being too tight and I wondered if maybe that was a little like how Adrian felt right now. "Stop it! Stop thinking about it," I told myself. Guys were always trying new ways to get it in. Adrian was playing with me. He was either trying to convince me to have sex with him or just trying to embarrass me to get back at me for---everything.'Everything' was a lot; I wanted to know if it would ever go away or if it would be there between the two of us for the rest of our lives. I didn't want running away to Boston to be the final mistake I got to make with Adrian. The longer I was home, the more I realized I wanted to try things again with him even if he was a jerk. Adrian was sort of like MY jerk so I was willing to deal with his moodiness, his sarcasm, his wise
ADRIAN"I knew you'd answer," I said as soon as Maggie connected the call.Over an hour had passed since I'd left Maggie. Why should I get in a hurry to call her? Why shouldn't I make her sweat a little? Maggie was the one who broke my heart. She was the one who screwed me then left me even after knowing I was in love with her. She only got to take what I dished out. No matter what I did to her---Meghan deserved it because what she did to me was worse.Slumping down on the guestroom bed, I made myself comfortable as I said, "I bet you missed me, too. Didn't you, Maggie? Didn't you miss me?" "No! I just got worried because you were slow. You're a terrible driver. I thought you might have wrecked," Maggie said.I could hear a hint of defiance in her tone, but it was weak. Maggie didn't want to piss me off. She wanted to hear what I had to say. She wanted to be part of this conversation. She wanted me.Knowing I had her on the hook made my dick harder than ever. I unbuttoned my jean
ADRIAN I jumped to my left to dodge the flying piece of strawberry shortcake with cream cheese frosting. Fortunately, it missed my ear by an inch, landing on an empty chair. Phew... That was close. Whose idea was it to put a one year old in charge of a whole cake? Meghan Parker, that's who. "Am I allowed to take it away from her yet? I shot her an intense glare for the fourth time. Maggie giggled. "No, just a few more pictures." "Pictures of what?" "Our daughter!" "That's not our daughter. That's a cake slugging demon child. Look at her. She doesn't even have a face anymore. It just looks like a giant blob of frosting," I point at Olivia, who had smashed her whole face on the cake a few times while giggling like a maniac. I guess that's why they call it a 'smash cake.' I'm glad she is enjoying her party, though. "ADRIAN!" Maggie scolded me. "I'm kidding! Gosh. I love Olivia. She is my favorite daughter," I winced. "Your only daughter," Natasha remarked, then walked over to
MEGHAN It's Christmas day today, and Adrian was home again to spend it with us. After we found out I was pregnant two months ago, Adrian went back to training. I asked him not to tell our parents anything, and he agreed, begrudgingly so. I promised him I'd take care of myself and the baby in his absence. I had to keep wearing baggy clothes because I was starting to show way more. It was getting harder to hide my pregnancy from my mom and Steve. "Stop being so nervous," Adrian scolded me when I acted restless. Our parents threw a Christmas party with our friends and family, and he already threatened to reveal everything to them. "I can't help it. You said you are going to announce it to everyone. How are you going to do it? Because I don't want to do it," I said. "You will see. It's a surprise I created." Adrian grinned mischievously. I don't trust him. "Leave everything to me," he said again. "Why do you have to do this now and ruin Christmas?" I winced. "It's a great time to
ADRIANI waited outside the bathroom patiently as Maggie took her test. This was nerve-wracking, but I tried to remain calm.Everything is going to be fine.I was about to get a good job and will buy a nice house in Alaska. So, if Maggie is pregnant, we could raise our kid there.Our parents weren’t home yet, so it was just Maggie and me, thankfully.“How much longer?” I yelled.“Two more minutes.”Shit, only one minute has passed? Why did it feel like an eternity?I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Maggie scream.“NO!”“Maggie? What’s wrong?” I asked. Maybe the test came out negative, and Maggie is disappointed?The door burst open, and Maggie came out with a frantic expression on her face. “This…this can’t be right.” She shoved the stick toward me, waving it. “This is all your fault!”I took it off her hand and smiled. Two lines…that could mean one thing.“Maggie! You are pregnant. Congratulations to us!”“What? Don’t congratulate us! This is a disaster,” she said, tears dr
MEGHAN "Adrian! Oh my god, I missed you so much!" Tiffany screamed and tried to jump into Adrian's arms, but he grabbed her shoulders, slightly pushing her away from him. "Hey, Tiff. I missed you guys too," he said casually, then winked at me as if to tell me not to get jealous. She was just a friend like Luke as far as he was concerned. "Oh, hey, Meghan. Nice dress. Seems a little tight on you, isn't it?" she said slightly. Is she trying to make a fat joke? I was annoyed already, and I'd only been here for five minutes. "Hey, guys! You made it!" Luke yelled from across the room and then made his way to us. He wrapped one arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. "Looking hot, Maggie." "Hey, keep your hands to yourself, Lucas," Adrian barked. Tiffany giggled. "Why should he? She is his girlfriend." "Not anymore," Adrian said. Whoa, are we announcing our break up already? "What do you mean, not anymore? Did Luke break up with Maggie already?" Tiffany looked at me curiously.
ADRIANI stared at Maggie, who looked utterly dumbfounded by my announcement. She looked almost terrified. Was the idea of moving with me that terrible? I knew she would hesitate since her mom lives here, but I thought we would get away from them. They didn't want us to be together anyway."Maggie, are you okay?" I asked after she didn't say anything for a while."I…I don't understand what you mean," she said meekly."You don't understand? What part confuses you?" I raised my eyebrow."What do you mean move in with you? Move in where?" she asked.I guess it was taking her a while to fathom what was going on."After all the training and seeing my performance, they offered me a permanent position in the fire department. So, I was thinking I should take the job and move to Alaska permanently," I explained.Maggie still looked confused. Was she not understanding what I was trying to tell her? "Move to Alaska? Permanently? Then what will happen to me?"I chuckled. This girl was really maki
MEGHAN On Saturday, I woke up feeling hungrier than ever. It was the weekend Adrian was supposed to come home, but he hadn't even called me. Loneliness wrapped around me.Our parents were working this weekend, but Adrian was only coming home for my sake, so he didn't care. But the question was why he hadn't shown up yet.I stretched under the covers, blinking when my nose caught the smell of bacon. Music blasted from the kitchen, and I slowly sat up with a smile spreading over my lips. He was home. Hurriedly, I found my pajamas and stalked out of the bedroom. The music was getting louder, and Adrian was whistling along. It made my heart pound faster and faster until he came into view.There, recently showered and only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, Adrian shook his round ass while making breakfast. "OH YEAH, YEAH!" Adrian was listening to an old Bruno Mars song. He broke a few eggs, danced, and moved along with the music, but all I could focus on was his broad back roped with m
ADRIANI punched the bag again and groaned in frustration."Take it easy, Adrian. You will hurt your knuckles," my trainer Kevin hissed at me. "What the hell is wrong with you anyway? You've been distracted and grumpy lately.""I have not been grumpy. I don't know what the hell you are talking about," I grumbled."Yeah, whatever. Just keep your head in the game, okay? You have three more months here, and then you get to go home, so no need to act out," Kevin said."I am not acting out. What the hell? Haven't I been showing how good I am at this? Haven't I been proving myself?""Yes, Adrian. You've been doing well. I'm not complaining about your effort out here. I'm just saying these past few days, you've been moody and distracted and I need you to keep your focus back on your job. So you don't mess it up.""I just don't know how to tell my girlfriend about my plans here," I decided to confide in Kevin. Since I moved here, we've become good friends, so I figured I could trust him."You
MEGHANThree months later, it looked like Adrian would finally have some free time to come and visit me. It was about time.He had been hard to reach the entire day, though, so I was grumpy while we talked on the phone. "So you will be coming home?" I asked but tried not to sound too excited about the news. Adrian hadn't earned that for ignoring my messages all day."Yes, I'm coming home to you this weekend!" I could hear the beam he wore in his voice. "Aren't you excited?"I hummed, still pretending to be hard to catch. "I don't know...""You don't know? Maggie! It feels like three long years since I last saw your face! Facetiming doesn't count! I want to touch and see you in person. Take you out on a date. Surely you must miss me?"My chest constricted. I felt terrible lying to Adrian, but I couldn't help the mood swings I had been having lately. I went from sad to happy so fast these days that I was starting to believe I needed medication. It wasn't the only change I had gone t
MEGHANOne month later,I promised myself I wouldn't cry and try to understand where he was coming from, but it still hurt to see him go."I will visit every chance I get, Maggie," he had said, kissing my forehead."But you said you'd be in intense training and won't be able to visit," I sobbed.He said nothing because what I said was true. So why was he making empty promises? It would only make things harder on me.And then he was gone, and I was all alone again.This past month felt like it went in slow motion. Adrian called me every night, and we tried to do video chats, but it wasn't the same.I missed his touch, I craved it.Mom told Adrian and me not to say anything to Steve because it might make things worse, so we kept our relationship a secret from him. Finally, Adrian promised her that we'd break up before he left for Alaska, and mom didn't question him any more. Maybe when he comes back, we'll find a different way to be together."Maggie! Luke is here!" my mom called from t